Kevin Michael’s self-titled debut arrives at a time when the majority of young r’b artists are producing safe records and fail to be innovative. But Michael isn’t your average r’b artist. In fact, his music draws on such a variety of genres that labeling it as simply "r’b" isn’t exactly accurate.
The album starts off with the first single, "We All Want the Same Thing," which features another rising artist: Lupe Fiasco. Unlike a typical r’b song, the song features live instrumentation and Michael talks about how people from all walks of life want the same thing, and encourages open-mindedness: "But, if you want to make it stop (stop), well, first, you got to start / Making some big old changes, doing some different things, yeah / Get up out your bed, think outside your head."
Of course, Fiasco provides his usual clever lyrics, while talking about how money is an equalizer in modern society: "First empire to the people / The ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ / Are we willing to give up all the hours just to make it all equal? / And make players out the mascots?"
Next is another gem – the second single, "It Don’t Make Any Difference to Me." Assisted by reggae-style production and vocals on the chorus by Wyclef Jean, Michael sings about how race doesn’t matter: "It don’t make any difference to me (one love) / What the world thinks about us baby (one love) / We were meant for each other / Love ain’t got no color." Michael also talks about how it’s difficult when people can’t quite tell what your ethnicity is: "People treat you different when you’re in between."
While songs such as these utilize live instruments, the album is versatile because that’s not the only sound it has. For example, "Weekend Jumpoff," produced by the notable J.R. Rotem, is a smooth, up-tempo number that listeners will repeat often.
Another standout is "Love Letter." The song is pop music executed flawlessly. Michael provides a very catchy chorus with writing reminiscent of Justin Timberlake, and explains in a verse, "You’re all a man could ask for, girl."
By the time listeners reach the end of the album they will still have solid tracks to entertain them, such as "Too Blessed," which features Q-Tip.
The vibe of this song is reminiscent of vintage A Tribe Called Quest, so the Tipster fits in perfectly. Michael sings about not worrying about issues too much: "There’s so much going on today, but I can’t let it worry me / Because I’m too blessed to be stressed / I’m too fresh to be depressed." Tip has a verse that’s as good as anything from his early 1990’s heyday, providing wise mottos: "Acknowledge our shortcomings, and build upon our strength / Make it easy on yourself, stay thankful and stride / Let go of inhibitions and let go of your pride."
After this song, listeners are treated to acoustic versions of "We All Want the Same Thing" and "It Don’t Make Any Difference To Me," which ends the great LP.
Michael will open for Maroon 5 Friday at The Toyota Center. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/kevinmichaelmusic
